National Crisp Sandwich Week with Seabrook #crispsarnieweek

It's pretty hard to beat a good sandwich...and then you add some crisps to it!! We're all lovers of a good crisp sarnie in this household and the kind people over at Seabrook sent us a packet of their tasty cheese and onion crisps to add into any sandwich we liked. So many ideas ran through my head but I settled on an adaptation of the classic meatball sub. Yummy homemade meatballs in a rich bolognese, topped with grated cheese and crushed cheese and onion Seabrook crisps, all sandwiched between two slices of brown bread. Delicious!

Fancy making some for yourself? You'll need;

• Meatballs - minced beef, 1 diced onion, mixed herbs, 1 clove of finely chopped garlic, salt & pepper, 1 beaten egg.
• Bolognese sauce
• Cheddar cheese, grated
• Packet of Seabrook cheese and onion crisps, crushed
• Brown bread

First up, you'll need to prepare your meatballs. Cook off some diced onion, the mixed herbs and finely chopped garlic until soft. Then add them to the minced beef. Add a pinch of salt, some black pepper and 1 beaten egg to the mix, to help hold everything together, then mix up all the ingredients (hands work best for this). Shape the mince into smallish meatballs then add them to a frying pan of hot oil and cook for around 10-15 minutes, turning often.

While the meatballs are cooking, warm up some bolognese sauce in a small saucepan. Once the meatballs are ready add them to the sauce and ensure they are covered well. Spoon the meatballs and sauce onto fresh brown bread, topping with grated cheddar cheese and crushed Seabrook cheese and onion crisps. Sandwich it all together with another slice of bread on top, tuck in and enjoy.

Disclaimer : I was sent a packet of crisps from Seabrook to help me create my sandwich. This recipe is an entry into the National Crisp Sarnie Week competition with Seabrook crisps.

Elias Superwipes, Review

Are your kids messy? My two are, very much so! Especially when it comes to meal and snack times. There are always tomato stains on t-shirts to be dealt with; blackcurrant spills on sofas and chocolate smears on trousers. So when I was asked to try out Elias Superwipes on my two mucky 'terrors' and their unsuspecting 'victims' I jumped at the chance...and I think my sofa jumped with me!

It wasn't long before my youngest provided a suitable challenge for the Superwipes. This time it was chilli con carne sauce on his jumper. The wipes were incredibly easy to use; I removed the excess chilli with a cloth and then scrubbed the jumper in a circular motion over the stained area for a few minutes. The mark began to disappear before my eyes and after leaving his jumper to dry for half-an-hour it was almost impossible to spot the chilli stain at all!

I was very impressed with Elias Superwipes, they did exactly what they said on the tin, or the packet in this case, and provided first aid removal of food and drink stains on fabric and cloth brilliantly. The wipes work best if they're used as soon as the stain appears but I did try them out on a bolognese sauce stain that had been left for 24hrs and received good results too. The stain was definitely lessened and a quick wash in the machine would have eradicated it completely.

Elias Superwipes retail at £2.99 per pack and you can purchase from their website or find a stockist HERE.


Disclaimer : I was sent a sample of Elias Superwipes to try in return for an honest review. As usual, all thoughts, words and images are my own.

#MySundayPhoto - August 31st

Hello! I've been making a bit of a re-appearance after a difficult couple of weeks, on my blog and in my personal life (this post explains a bit more). I feel like I've been a bit absent all around lately so I'm keeping my fingers crossed the new week brings much more sunshine and smiles with it, to myself and my family...and to yours too :)

August Bank Holiday Fun Day

Each year our town holds a Fun Day over the August bank holiday weekend. The last couple of years have been washed out with torrential rain but with gorgeous sunshine on the cards this year we made time within our busy weekend to pop down and have a look.

The kids thought it was great fun and there was lots for them to see and do. There was much more there than previous years and a lot of it geared towards getting little ones involved in the day. My two got to sit in a police van, saw a fire engine and checked out the vintage cars. My Husband was drawn to the Mustang the instant the engine was turned over, naturally ;)

They hooked apples and won themselves a prize, browsed the stalls and chose a couple of new books to bring home. There was even time for a sweet treat and a jump on the bouncy castle.

As we walked around we found an area with some beautiful owls and birds of prey and we were able to see the amazing birds up close. After we'd had a look at everything, had a go on most things and listened to the live band on the stage we made our way back to the car and came across some really cute seats carved into a fallen tree and it's trunk. The kids thought they were fantastic and took a well earned break on them :)

Word of the Week - August 29th

My word this week is quiet, for quite a few reasons.

I've not written anything at two-tiny-terrors at all this week and I've been very quiet on the blogging (and commenting/reading other blogs) front. The truth? I'm really struggling.

7 weeks is a long time to spent almost entirely on my own with two children. They can be incredibly challenging and although they are wonderful children and I wouldn't change anything about them for the world, they bicker and fight and throw tantrums and strops like every other 3 and 4 year old. It is tiring. Especially when I find the days difficult to get through myself.

I've been quiet in myself too and a bit withdrawn, if I'm honest. Last week was my Nan-in-Law's funeral and there's been some 'drama' caused by a couple of members of the family which wasn't needed and has upset quite a few people, myself included. Isabella was a good friend and adored by my children and there's a very large hole left where she should be - I think we're all finding it pretty difficult without her.

As well as feeling quiet and being quiet I've been hoping and wishing for quiet too. With the children, everything else going on and a lot of personal struggles kicking off with my mental health I could really do with really need a break. I feel at the end of my tether.

Hopefully a new week will bring a few more smiles and sunshine our way. Hopefully it'll be the end of a blogging quiet and the beginning of some quiet for myself. Fingers crossed!

#MySundayPhoto - August 24th

We had a great afternoon yesterday at the town fun day. My two loved looking round all the stalls, having a go on some of the games and the bouncy castle, sitting in a police van and checking out the vintage cars. After a fun and busy afternoon we came across some cute little seats carved into a fallen tree trunk and it's stump and we took a well earned rest on them. My two thought they were the most amazing thing!

Free Fun at Frosts Garden Centres

The kids and I are almost 5 weeks through our 6-7 week Summer Holiday and days out and activities are getting a little sparse on the ground. We've done most things we'd planned to do and I think we're all getting a little fed up of doing pretty much the same thing everyday, at home, just the three of us - anybody else feeling the same?!

Frosts Garden Centres have been a bit of a life-saver for me this Summer! We discovered their 'Beach' last year at our local store in Willington, Bedfordshire, and they've returned this year, bigger and better. It's completely free to enter and they have an enormous sand-pit with a cover, a selection of ride-on's and cosy coupe's to play in, a mini golf course, a couple of playhouses, a mini cafe/shop, some animals (rabbits and alpaca's) and plenty of seating all around. They also run activities, costing around £6, where the children can craft and create with a snack and a drink.

We've spent quite a few morning's and afternoon's there and it's been a lot of fun for the kids and entirely free (minus a drink and the diesel to drive there) - brilliant! My two have really enjoyed playing with the other children, looking at the animals and having a go at the activities set out by Frosts. I'd definitely recommend popping down and having a look, they have stores in Willington (Bedforshire), Woburn Sands (Buckinghamshire), Brampton (Cambridgeshire) and Millets Farm (Oxfordshire) and they all have a wonderful Beach to visit and enjoy :)

Disclaimer : This is not a sponsored or review post. We've enjoyed the free fun at Frosts Garden Centres for the last couple of years and wanted to share it with you. As always, all words, opinions and images are my own.

Kiss My Itch Goodbye, Review

The Summer holiday's have been brilliant so far. We've filled them up with loads of outdoor fun, afternoons spent in the paddling pool, BBQ's with family, trips out and about and relaxing in the sunshine. Unfortunately, we've not been alone - I've had a fair few bug bites. The kids seem to have avoided them (how do they do that?!) but my Husband and I have more than made up for their share! And the itching, oh gosh the itching!

So, when the wonderful people behind Kiss My Itch Goodbye approached me and asked if I'd like to review their all natural anti-itch cream, I jumped at the opportunity. A cream that promised to stop itching from insect bites, among other common itches, whilst using entirely natural, plant-based ingredients...sounds fantastic!

The 2fl. oz. bottle I was sent retails for $9.00 (about £5.50) and is available to buy without prescription, with free P&P within the USA. As it's made from entirely natural ingredients it's safe to use on children over the age of 2, with adult supervision, making it perfect for the whole family to turn to when those insect bites start to itch.

The cream itself is smooth with barely any odour. You only need a small amount and it goes on easily, feeling a little like an aqueous cream to apply. After applying it my skin was a little greasy to the touch at first (think a light covering of Vaseline) but the cream sunk into the skin well and quickly, leaving little residue.

I found that it worked pretty swiftly to alleviate the itch and it lasted really well - it was around 4 hours later before I had to apply a small amount again. And as there are no nasties in the cream you can apply it as often as you need it!

The cream was made to eliminate the itch from insect bites but has been shown to provide temporary relief for dermatitis, cracked fingertips, winter itch, psoriasis and other skin-related problems such as poison ivy and allergies. I found it very useful on a small patch of eczema that had made an appearance on my arm. It stopped the itch and hasn't aggravated the eczema.

After trying out Kiss My Itch Goodbye for a couple of weeks I can firmly say that, for me, it alleviated both insect bite and eczema itches and I would most definitely recommend it. If you'd like to find some real relief from itching and try it out for yourself hop on over to their website - http://www.kissmyitchgoodbye.com/. You can also find them on Twitter and Facebook!

#WickedWednesday - August 20th

"Gooooooaaaaallllllll!!!!"

While I was sorting the laundry the other day all I could hear from the garden was talk of football teams and scoring goals. It's lovely to listen to my two play together and their small age gap really shows through when they do - some days I love to just sit and listen and watch them play together, forming their close friendship as Brother and Sister.

That day though, even though the bonding was lovely, I encountered two little 'terrors' playing a great game of football together....in my flowerbeds!! The goal was the rose of sharon (thankfully it had finished flowering and I hadn't planted anything else around there yet) and it was taking one heck of a pummelling. Cheeky little monkeys!

#MySundayPhoto - August 17th

We've been growing our own food again this year and, after a lot of waiting, it's finally time to start picking everything! Most of the bell, barancio and chili peppers are still green so they're going on the window-sill to ripen up. The tomatoes are looking great though and we almost have enough to make a yummy homemade tomato soup :)

Growing Our Own Tomatoes - It's Time To Start Picking!

The kids have been watering and caring for their tomato plants for the last few months. Each morning they'd be out looking after them and watching their tomatoes gradually grow. There's been a lot of excitement this week as, after weeks of waiting patiently (no easy thing for my 'terrors'), some of the tomatoes were ready to be picked!!

They pointed out the red and orange ones and gently picked them off the plants. The gorgeous red tomatoes have gone into the fridge until we're ready to use them and the few orange ones they collected have joined my chili and bell pepper's on the window-sill to ripen a bit more.

We want to make something with our tomatoes that we will all enjoy; that was the whole point of growing our own after all. After a bit of thinking and some suggestions from the kids we've settled on making tomato soup. It's a firm favourite in our family and should be quite simple to get the kids involved in the making and cooking of it. When we have a few more ripe tomatoes we'll start making - I can't wait, and I don't think the kids can either!!

Word of the Week - August 15th

This week has been all about Family; the good and the not so good bits.

Our week began with the sad passing of my wonderful, brave and kind Nan-in-Law who lost her battle to cancer in the early hours of Saturday morning. I only had the privilege of knowing her for a handful of years but she became a good friend and was adored by my two children. My youngest is a little small to fully understand what's going on but my eldest knows and it's heartbreaking watching her realise that she won't see her again. It's obvious to say that she will be missed, but she really will leave a very large hole in our family.

The end of the week has closed on a slightly different note. The passing of my Nan-in-Law has made me think a bit about my own family and the stupidity of the feuds within it. After 15 years I doubt my "Uncle" (he's never been an Uncle to us), his family and ours will ever resolve our issues but I'm trying to make amends with my Granny. I haven't forgiven all that's gone on but yesterday I made the decision to visit my Granny after almost 2yrs without contact. It went much better than expected. Hopefully it's time for my family and I to move forwards.

Fighting Myself and the Impact on my Children #MentalHealth

I have spent far too much of my 26 years fighting. Fighting myself.

Fighting clinical depression.
Fighting post-natal depression.
Fighting post traumatic stress disorder.
Fighting self-harming behaviour.
Fighting anorexia nervosa.
Fighting anxiety.
Fighting.
Fighting.
Fighting.
Endless fighting.

I need a day of respite. One whole day to myself, without any intrusion from myself. Just accepting myself as myself.

But, this isn't going to stop. It never will stop. Day after day, year after year, decade after decade, it will carry on and on.
I'm gradually accepting that.
I have to keep on fighting, indefinitely, and that's fine. I've become accustomed to it. I have my ways of coping and, when I can't cope, there are people around me that know my 'signs.' People that pick me up and hold me up until I can do it myself again.

But...what impact will that have on my children?

What if they get caught up in my fighting?
What if I've passed something onto them, genetically or otherwise?
What if they have to spend their whole lives fighting too?

What happens when they start asking why Mummy has scars?
What happens when they start asking why Mummy has 'down days'?
What happens when they start asking why Mummy doesn't eat much?

What do I say to them then? Do I tell them I'm fighting?
Do I tell them the truth? And what impact would that have on them?

#WickedWednesdays - August 13th

Quick, she's taking a picture! Look in opposite directions and move around a bit!

After sitting so cutely on the bus to Sainsbury's the other day, holding hands for most of the journey and smiling away, they let go pretty darn quickly when I produced my phone to take a picture. They then proceeded to turn in opposite directions and move around so it all went blurry. Arrr.

N is for...

...NATURE

My two 'terrors' are firm lovers of the outdoors and we are quite lucky in our garden that there's quite a bit of nature to be found. Most nights there are hedgehogs snuffling around in the shrubs and in the morning's the surrounding trees are littered with birds, big and small. We've even come across a Sparrowhawk...complete with captured Sparrow in it's talons!

With the warmer weather and the beautiful sunshine we've been seeing an awful lot of butterflies in assorted colours and patterns and we seem to be a bit of a 'hot spot' for dragonflies too; there are several that frequent our garden, the biggest almost the size of my hand! The kids are greatly impressed by all the birds, bees and bugs they come across outside and each trip into the garden seems to turn up even more little creatures for them to discover.

A  B  C  D  E  F  G

H  I  J  K  L  M

Personalised Prints from Chatterbox Walls, Review

We've recently redecorated the children's bedroom's and I've been keeping my eye out for great deals on decorative items and accessories to add to them. When Chatterbox Walls approached me and asked if I'd like to review their personalised prints I jumped at the chance.

Chatterbox Walls are a UK based print and design company. They offer easy to create, personalised prints in a variety of sizes and for a range of occasions and gifts.

www.chatterboxwalls.co.uk - lots of designs to choose from.

Their website was really easy to navigate and there was a good choice of prints to choose from. I opted for the personalised dinosaur print from the 'baby & kids room' range which retails at £14.99 (small). The print was really quick and easy to create, especially when compared to similar companies in the market that I've come across. All I needed to do was select the design I wanted, type in the words I wanted to appear on it, pick a colour for the background and the size I wanted it to be printed in and I was done. Simple! The real-time preview of what I was creating was really handy too.

www.chatterboxwalls.co.uk - it's quick and easy to create your print.

My print was available in a variety of sizes to fit any space, from 30cm x 21cm up to 86cm x 61cm. It arrived in good time and the free P&P was an added bonus. I liked that you had the option to pay an additional £6.50 for next working day delivery if you wanted; perfect if you need your print in a hurry!

I was incredibly impressed with the vibrant colour of my print, it was exactly what I had designed and ordered. The design itself was printed onto glossy card and although I thought that a slightly thicker card could have been used for the price of £14.99 it was printed beautifully and seemed of high quality.

My print from Chatterbox Walls was perfect for my dinosaur-mad eldest's bedroom; it was vibrant and looks great against her pastel lilac walls. I found it very quick to create the design and easy to personalise. It was printed perfectly; what I received was exactly the same as I had ordered. It would make a brilliant gift for somebody and an excellent addition to any room.

You can find more prints and design your own at www.chatterboxwalls.co.uk. You can also find them on twitter @chatterboxwalls, on facebook and on Pinterest.


Disclaimer : I was sent one personalised print worth £14.99 from Chatterbox Walls in exchange for an honest review. All words, opinions and images are my own.